


That's Me Trying

by sartiebodyshots



Category: Falling Skies
Genre: Episode: s05e04, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-31
Updated: 2015-07-31
Packaged: 2018-04-12 04:19:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4465232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sartiebodyshots/pseuds/sartiebodyshots
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Matt wants to help Cochise feel better after the death of his dad.</p>
            </blockquote>





	That's Me Trying

Matt looks at Cochise worriedly.  He just lost his _dad_ , and that sounds like a scary thing.  Losing a mom is a scary thing, which seems pretty close.

There’s nothing for Matt to use to distract Cochise with, no deck of cards or even a ball so they can play a game, but Matt wants to comfort his friend anyway.  The best thing to do when you’re sad is _something_. 

“Wanna give me a piggyback ride?” Matt asks.  “I mean, unless your belly still hurts.”

“What is a piggyback ride?” Cochise asks.

“You carry me on your back!”  Matt says.

“Have you injured your legs?” Cochise asks, crouching beside him. 

“No!  But it’s fun!” Matt says.

Cochise looks at him suspiciously.  “I am not certain where the fun is in this activity.”

“Trust me!” Matt says cheerily.  “Hal always loves giving me piggyback rides, and so did Dad until it started hurting his back!”

Cochise makes a gentle humming noise.  “I do trust you.  I will try giving you a piggyback ride.”

“Cool!” Matt says.  “Stay there.”

Matt climbs onto Cochise’s back and wraps his arms around Cochise. 

“Can you breathe?  Sometimes I accidentally strangle people,” Matt asks.  “They don’t like that.”

“I am fully comfortable.  Your grip is not strong,” Cochise says.

“My grip is super strong!” Matt says, “But I’m glad you can breathe.”

“What do you wish for me to do next?” Cochise asks.

“You’ve got to hold my legs and then stand up!” Matt says.

“Please hold tightly so you do not fall,” Cochise says as he stands up. 

Matt screeches happily because Cochise is so tall!  He is so far from the ground! 

“Are you alright?” Cochise asks.

“Yeah!  You’re just so tall!” Matt says. 

“I am short for a Volm,” Cochise says.

“I’m not a Volm,” Matt points out.  “Now you’ve gotta walk!”

“Where do you wish to go?” Cochise says.

“Anywhere!” Matt says.

Cochise nods and begins walking. 

“Many of the humans are staring,” he whispers softly.

“They’re jealous!” Matt says, waving cheerily at everyone.

“Because I am giving you a piggyback ride?” Cochise asks.

Matt nods, and then remembers that Cochise can’t see him, so he says, “Yeah, of course!”

“I see,” Cochise says. 

He speeds up a little and Matt whoops in excitement. 

“You’re a natural!” Matt tells him.

“Thank you, Matt,” Cochise says. 

Cochise does a loop around the camp, and then heads out to the nearby clearing. 

“Do you wish for me to move faster?” Cochise asks.

“Yeah!” Matt says.

“Please hold on very tightly.  I care for you greatly, and your father and brothers will most likely cease contact with me if I allow you to fall,” Cochise says.

“Nah,” Matt says, holding tighter anyway.  “They all love you a lot, and I wouldn’t say anything about falling.  I’m not a snitch, Cochise.”  He never tells anyone when he falls off things.

“Your safety is very important,” Cochise says.  “What if you become injured?”

Matt shrugs.  “I’m tough.  Now run!”

“Are you holding tightly?” Cochise says.

“Yep!” Matt says. 

Cochise starts running across the field and Matt yells in excitement as the wind whips through his hair.  He holds on tight so Cochise doesn’t get sad if he falls off (this is all about making Cochise feel happier after all), but all he wants to do is wave his arms around.

When they’ve reached the end of the clearing, Cochise stops. 

“Thank you for allowing me to give you a piggyback ride,” Cochise says. 

“You’re gonna take me back, right?” Matt asks.

“Of course,” Cochise says.  “But before returning to the main camp, I wished to thank you privately.”

“No problem!” Matt says. 

“I have had a number of difficult days recently.  This has been an enjoyable way to distract myself from that,” Cochise says.

“Losing a parent is awful,” Matt agrees, chin resting on Cochise’s shoulder as he thinks.

“I should not find it difficult, but I do,” Cochise says. 

“Dad always says it’s alright to find stuff difficult, even if other people think it’s super easy.  I mean, he was usually talking about school stuff, but it probably applies here,” Matt says, legs kicking a little.  “Stuff happens and sometimes it’s hard.”

Cochise nods.  “Those are wise words.”

Matt shrugs.  “They’re Dad’s, mostly.”

“You are the one who passed the wisdom along, however,” Cochise says, “and I must thank you for that.”

“I wanna help you feel better,” Matt says.  “Because being alone and sad is no fun.”

“You have helped me feel better, I assure you,” Cochise says.  “You are my family, and I am not alone.”

“Good,” Matt says. “’Cuz you’re my family, too.”

“Would you like me to run some more?” Cochise asks.

“Yes!” Matt says.

Matt laughs and laughs as Cochise runs around the clearing with him on his back. 


End file.
